Re: Adding an xs:numeric type to XML Schema

Hello world,

On the Core call this morning, David, Paul, Liam and I discussed the
xs:numeric type. The background on this type is that XPath (1.0) had a
"number" data type. In the XPath 2.x (and following) specs, this was
handled in an ad hoc way. For XPath v.next, we'd gain significant
improvements with a proper numeric type to use in function signatures
and for sequence type matching.

The XSLT and XQuery WGs are not asking for a change to XML Schema
proper. There is precedent for the XPath Data Model to define new
types in the xs: namespace. (We did it for xs:dayTimeDuration and
xs:yearMonthDuration before they appeared in XSD.)

Assuming, as appeared to be the case on this call, that no one objects
to the addition of the new type in the XPath Data Model, the only
actual change that the XSLT and XQuery WGs are requesting is that the
namespace document for the xs: namespace be updated to indicate that
there may be additional types defined in the XDM spec.

As I said, that appeard to be acceptable to everyone and I'll report
provisional assent to the XSLT and XQuery WGs. If anyone does object,
please say so.

                                        Be seeing you,
                                          norm

FYI: the actual XSLT and XQuery proposals are described in these
messages:

https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Member/w3c-xsl-query/2014May/0053.html
https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Member/w3c-xsl-query/2014May/0052.html

The XSLT and XQuery WGs adopted them in their meeting yesterday.

P.S. The only proposal relevant to this WG is the xs:numeric type.
The other proposal, a syntax for defining union types in the sequence
type grammar, is just XPath related.


-- 
Norman Walsh
Lead Engineer
MarkLogic Corporation
Phone: +1 512 761 6676
www.marklogic.com